aclu of ohio
Ohio coalition moves forward with plans for abortion ballot measure
A coalition of reproductive rights groups, along with the ACLU of Ohio say they plan to have a pro-abortion ballot initiative on the Ohio Attorney General’s desk by February. Ohioans for Reproductive Freedom announced the plan to do this with the help of a recently hired “general consultant” with experience boosting ballot initiatives on the […]
2 abortion rights groups launch simultaneous efforts to codify abortion rights with ballot measures
The following article was originally published on News5Cleveland.com and is published in the Ohio Capital Journal under a content-sharing agreement. Unlike other OCJ articles, it is not available for free republication by other news outlets as it is owned by WEWS in Cleveland. Two different coalitions launched two separate initiatives to restore and ensure abortion access in […]
Voting advocates raise alarm about Ohio GOP measures to limit absentee voting and drop boxes
Voting rights groups are raising concerns with two voting bills Ohio Republican lawmakers appear poised to advance during the lame duck session: One for photo voter ID, and the other to limit drop boxes and absentee voting. In the Ohio House, lawmakers are working on a proposal that places limits on drop boxes, absentee voting, […]
Here’s what you need to know about redistricting in Ohio
On Aug. 12, the U.S. Census Bureau provided the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico with population counts to use in their redrawing of the electoral district boundaries for representation in Congress, state legislatures, and many county and municipal offices — a process also known as “redistricting.” In Ohio, this process has […]
LGBTQ+ couples can adopt, but GOP rejects updating Ohio law to note that
Although it is legal in Ohio for LGBTQ+ couples to adopt, some GOP legislators want the state law to only acknowledge the adoption rights of heterosexual couples. A dispute over a single line in the 2,057-page state budget bill — passed by the Ohio House of Representatives on Wednesday — has some civil rights advocates […]
Poll: Big majority in Ohio support getting rid of the death penalty
Almost 60% of Ohioans support replacing the death penalty with life in prison without the possibility of parole, according to a poll conducted late last year and released on Thursday by the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio and the advocacy group Ohioans to Stop Executions. In addition, a majority supports a full repeal, including […]
House bill would impose harsh new penalties on protesters and their organizations
In the wake of this summer’s massive civil-rights protests, two Republicans in the Ohio House have filed a bill that imposes harsh new penalties on certain protest-related activities.
New fiscal impact analysis shows Ohio can save big with bail reform
On any given day in Ohio, as many as 12,000 people are held in jail pretrial. Most are jailed not because of what they’ve allegedly done, but because of what they don’t have. This is due to Ohio’s reliance on cash bail, which creates a two-tiered system of justice in which those with resources go […]
LaRose: Each county to have one ballot drop box this fall
Ohio’s 88 counties will each have one ballot drop box available to use for the General Election, Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced Wednesday. LaRose made the directive to all county boards of elections. At a news conference on Wednesday, LaRose said he had asked the Ohio Attorney General’s office for legal insight as to […]
As COVID-19 cases surge, ACLU urges release of misdemeanor offenders from jail
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Ohio is urging state criminal justice officials to eliminate money bonds and release eligible people from Ohio’s jails amid a resurgence of coronavirus cases. In a letter sent to over 450 legal personnel on Tuesday, the ACLU outlined recommendations to mitigate the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic […]
Elections 2020: LaRose caught between advocates, inactive legislature
Voting rights advocates have identified several changes they believe would make it easier for Ohioans to vote this November. With time running out for the state legislature to enact laws impacting the 2020 General Election, these advocates are pleading for Secretary of State Frank LaRose to take action. LaRose is the statewide official who oversees […]
Reimagining a broken system of policing
America’s criminal legal system is broken. Policing is part of that system and is no exception. In fact it’s where it all begins. It’s hard to imagine that any system with roots in slave patrols, groups of armed white men who enforced slave laws, can be just. So it’s no surprise that we have seen […]